


God Blessed Texas

by myfutureisamess



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alcoholic Dean Winchester, Cowboy Dean Winchester, Doctor Castiel (Supernatural), Heavy Drinking, M/M, Minor Injuries, Natural Disasters, Rodeo Competitions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2020-05-15 11:15:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19294615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myfutureisamess/pseuds/myfutureisamess
Summary: Castiel and his family had moved away from a small, ranching town in Eastern Texas when he was still in highschool. After that he went to medical school and became a doctor at Tulsa, a stressful job. Dean had stayed in that town, taking over the family ranch and helping Sammy with his PBR career. While the boys had been close back in highschool they quickly drifted away, until Sam gets in accident during a ride. Suddenly the men will be thrown back together for better or worse.





	1. The Beginning of the End

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again guys, I've decided that there is not near enough lengthy fanfiction with cowboy Dean, so here I am. To start off with a couple of disclaimers, I know nothing about the medical field so if I get anything wrong I'm sorry and please let me know, I will fix it. I do live in a small town on a farm, however I don't own a ranch, so I might get some things wrong there too, again, please correct me! Also, occasionally the POV will be from Sam's but mostly it's just Dean and Cas. This first chapter also has a sort of choppy format, however that won't stay, this first chapter is more of a prologue than anything else.
> 
> I will stop running my mouth now and let you all enjoy the story! Please leave a review!

Castiel's POV

Cas fell down on his couch exhausted. He had just finished what turned into a seventy-two hour shift at the Tulsa Hospital. Dr. Castiel James Novak had started as full fledged Dr. just two years ago, and he hadn't slept more than four hours at a time since. "You need to actually get some sleep baby brother." Gabriel, the doctor's brother said from the other room. He was in town visiting, to watch the PBR even that was in town. Something that Castiel himself was dreading. Those idiot cowboys would be getting themselves hurt left and right that weekend, and they were the closest hospital so he was going to be dealing with those stubborn idiots.

"And, eat something better than Vienna sausages, do you really not have anything else to eat?" Castiel ignored him. Cas and Gabriel spent most of their lives in West Texas, in a town that could hardly be called a town. They had lived like country boys from the time he was twelve to when he left for college at eighteen, and he had never gone back. He quickly learned in med school to hide his accents, people didn't find it professional, and he hadn't even seen a horse in person since then. He had always thought the guys that lived on the ranches were idiots, horses were dangerous, and so were cows.

"I don't have time to shop, or cook." Cas said back to his older brother. "Why are you in town anyways? You haven't seen bull riding since you left for college."

Gabriel came in with an open can of the odorous meat that Castiel had been living off of for way too long. "Remember, sleep, and cause an old buddy of ours is riding tonight."

"Yours." The younger brother sent right back. "And sleep does sound nice, so I am headed upstairs to take a long shower and take a long nap before I have to go back tomorrow, it's going to be a busy weekend." The doctor walked up the stairs and jumped in the shower. He was almost thinking this Dr. thing was too much. He had been miserable, finding no joy even through the exhaust, he was just tired, constantly.

Dean's POV

Dean heard his ranch hands getting rowdy in the other room and just shook his head laughing. He was frying up some chicken and had some homemade mashed potatoes cooking in some ranch dressing. His bones hurt, but it was a familiar sort of ache. Ever since he could remember he had helped out on this ranch, before him and his brother ran it, his parents did. He grinned and took another drink from his bud-light bottle.

"We've been holding up good this summer with your brother out on the road." Benny, Dean's hand and best friend said from the doorway of the kitchen. "After two seasons, we've finally got our groove down to cover the extra work."

"Not to hard." Dean drawled back. "You get sick of the boys' antics?" He asked.

"I'm gettin' sorta old to drink with them, those boys can work all day and party all night, every day of the week, I can't keep up!" The guys laughed together.

"Well if you're gettin' old then so am I!" Dean shot back. Just then the house rang, pretty much the only phone Dean used, sure he had a cell phone, but there was no signal out here so he didn't use it to call or text. "I'll get that, you stir the potatoes." Dean directed the wooden spoon at his hand and walked to the ever chirping phone. He pulled the old fashion device off of the hook. "Winchester Ranch, Dean speaking." He said.

Dean's face fell as he heard the voice on the other end of the line talking to him. He hung up after saying a quick, cold goodbye and turned to Benny who was looking at him with a worried expression. "Benny I've got to head to Tulsa, now, you take care of the ranch." The older brother said before taking off, up the stairs to the bedrooms.

Sam's POV

Sam checked his hold on the rope and shifted as the animal in the shoot banged against the sides. He felt his heart hammer in his chest and he took a deep breath. Just as he opened his eyes the shoot swung open and he began moving with the motion of the bull. The ride was going well at first, he could tell, the bull was getting in some good bucks and hops, but Sam anticipated them and moved along with the animal.

Well, everything was going well. He heard the buzzer for the 8 second mark, but kept on riding, he could get a few extra points if he kept riding. He should've let the boys come and get him off of the bull, though. At what he assumed was the eight and half second mark, he lost it. He felt himself lose rhythm and in the next minute he was thrown off of the beast. Sam's head hit the soft dirt of the rodeo floor hard. He was dazed but still conscious, then he saw hooves coming down towards him. He felt a dull, but intense pain in his arm. Sam made the mistake of looking over and saw his arm was flattened in a grotesque way.


	2. We Meet Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Every single time I get one of these guys, I can't help but think how dumb this all is! I saw what happened to Garth last season!" Cas shouted, he was losing his cool, with a client, but it wasn't just any client. This was the older brother of his older brother's crush. He couldn't believe Dean hadn't matured after all these years, both him and Sam were the same reckless kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to chapter 2! So for those of you who may have been worried about the formatting of the first chapter, no other chapters will be like that! Chapter one is more like a prologue than an actual chapter. Once again, if anyone has any suggestions or corrections please let me know.
> 
> Also, I am trying to keep theses character as in character as possible, but I'm not really used to writing Cas or much of Sam. Please leave a review if you like it, and enjoy!

Dean rushed into the hospital, out of breath, he felt like he hadn't really gotten to breathe normally since he left the ranch. They had called him when he got off the plane and told him that Sam was stable, so there was some good news, but he needed to see his brother in person. He had thought about renting a vehicle, but he knew he wouldn't have the patience for the traffic at the moment, so he booked an uber while walking out.

He walked up to the desk and tried to ask where Sammy's room was. "Breathe honey, you can't talk if you don't have oxygen." There was a man at the computer who hadn't noticed him yet. It was the nurse filing paper who had spoken to him. "Who are you in here for? Jordan here will help you." She said. Dean took three deep breaths trying not to shake. Sure, Sam had gotten hurt bull-riding before, hell, Dean had too back when he still rode. But after losing Garth last year...

"What can I do for you sir?" Jordan, Dean assumed, who was the boy at the computer, asked him.

"Winchester, Sam. I'm his brother, he was injured at the PBR event last night." The words came out in a rush.

"He's in room..." The young man looked at the computer for a moment. "308, the elevators are just down that hall, I think Dr. Novak is with the patient now so if you hurry you can catch him."

"Thank you." Dean responded before quickly running towards the elevators, duffel in hand. He walked down the halls of the fourth floor, getting directions once from another doctor as to where to go. He burst through the door, probably too quickly, and saw a slightly unkempt man in a white coat turn towards him. Then, Sammy scowling at him from the hospital bed. "Sorry, sorry." He said quickly.

"Sir, can I help you?" The Doctor asked. He had messy black hair, and gorgeous blue eyes that were staring at Dean in an odd way.

"That's Dean, my brother." Sammy offered. "He's okay to stay in here." The doctor just nodded and turned back towards his clipboard. Dean stepped further into the small, but private room, sat down in the guest chair, and laid his duffel down.

"I'm running a little late on my rounds so forgive me for postponing your time with your brother," The doctor said looking between the two. Neither Winchester were paying attention though, they were too busy having a silent argument. It seemed that Sam wasn't too happy to see Dean. "Anyways, as I was saying, you have a minor concussion, however, our biggest concern is your arm. You had a pretty nasty fracture in your arm, so we put you through emergency surgery last night, we believe we have repaired the arm, but you have to rest and monitor your recovery." Sam asked a few questions that Dean didn't understand, and then Dr. Novak answered with something that Dean didn't understand.

"Well, the biggest question we have Doc, is can he still ride?" Dean asked, once he was sure that Sammy had asked all the questions he wanted to. The look that Doctor Novak gave Dean made the older Winchester lean back in his chair. It was a very intense, very degrading, as if he was supposed to know the answer to that.

Castiel couldn't believe what the cowboy had just told him. First off Dean Winchester, the stupid kid who had at least one broken bone every month back in Texas, had walked through his hospital wearing disgusting boots and that dusty, unhygienic, cowboy hat. Then that same Winchester really asked him if his brother could get back onto one of those wild animals right after having surgery! "No, Mr. Winchester, I cannot clear your brother, minimum amount of time will be three weeks, I may have to extend that."

Castiel watched the younger Winchester huff and lean back in the hospital bed. "We really needed that money for the ranch." He mumbled

Cas watched as Dean shook his head. "It's fine, we did fine before we started PBR, we'll do fine after."

"Dean, could I talk to you out in the hallway for a bit." The Doctor decided that he needed to have a word with the cowboy from his past. The three of them had been good friends for about two years, that was before Castiel's family had moved to the city.

Once him and Dean were out in the hallway he sighed and leaned against the wall. "Look, I don't know if you remember me, but I remember you and your brother." Cas started. He decided that it was better to remind the Dean that they were old friends before he chewed his ass out. "I helped out on the ranch back when my family lived there, the scrawny little kid that used to run around with his older brother, Gabe, at ya'lls place." The Doctor watched as recognition flashed across the other man's face. "Anyways, I want to ask you why the hell you're letting your brother do this!"

He watched as Dean huffed and folded his arms. "Yeah, you are so not as cool as you used to be!"

"Every single time I get one of these guys, I can't help but think how dumb this all is! I saw what happened to Garth last season!" Cas shouted, he was losing his cool, with a client, but it wasn't just any client. This was the older brother of his older brother's crush. He couldn't believe Dean hadn't matured after all these years, both him and Sam were the same reckless kids.

"Look, I know what happened to Garth, more so than you ever will, I was friends with him! But this is what we do, city boy, we get right back up, and right back on!" The two men were getting progressingly closer to each other, now standing in the middle of the hallway. "You have no right to judge us, you happily left that life, left me!"

The sound of shoes made the two separate quickly and glare at each other, acting as if nothing had just happened. A small family walked by them looking between the two, as if they knew what was happening. "You've just lost sight of why we do these stupid things." Dean said shifting his feet, leaving faint dirt marks on the pristine floor. "If I remember correctly you jumped off those rocks also, you hopped right on the sows with me." Castiel rolled his eyes, he could not believe this. It wasn't as if he chose to leave Dean, what they had wasn't anything more than light flirting anyways. Not too mention he had matured since then.

"Everything you guys do is dumb, running the cattle, going to rodeos, the way you shoot guns." Cas knew he was losing an internal battle. Seeing Dean again made him realize that he might miss it. He shook his head adamantly. He did not miss it at all, he liked being a doctor.

He watched the taller man deflate a little. "Look, just, let me take you to the PBR grounds, remind you of what you used to love." Castiel had a quick internal battle, however, even back in high school, he couldn't ever say no to those green eyes.

"Alright, I'll come with you, I get off at four today, end of a twelve hour shift." Cas knew this was a bad idea, knew that something would happen that evening, something life changing. "I have to get back to my rounds, my brother is coming by to see Sam. I guess they've stayed in touch. I'll meet you down in the main lobby at four fifteen. The doctor said before turning and walking away.

Dean was waiting impatiently down in what he was almost certain was the main lobby. He hadn't left the hospital (he didn't have a hotel yet), however he did freshen up, putting on his dress hat and a better button down. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous, it wasn't even a real date, even if it felt like one to him. Soon he saw the familiar mess of hair walking towards him. He wanted to hit himself for not recognizing Cas right away, it was his Cas, from way back in freshman year, the shy boy he had thought he would never see again. Apparently even Sammy had known who he was, of course him and Gabe had stayed in touch all these years...

"You ready?" Dean asked the other man. "The event starts at eight so we have plenty of time, it's just the event employees and participants there getting ready."

"And you're sure that it's okay for us to just." Castiel sighed, looking exhausted. "Waltz through?"

Dean chuckled. "Look, I'm one of the participants brothers, and I just got off the phone with on the managers, and he said that it was perfectly fine." The cowboy stopped to inspect his old friend, he looked worn out, and not just a, end of a twelve hour shift, worn out. It was like he was tired of life. Well, Dean be dammed if he didn't at least try to remedy that. "We're gonna have fun okay, and with your brother coming, neither of us have to worry about Sammy!"

They took Castiel's car to the BOK Center in town. Dean took a deep breath, it had been a while since he had been to any out of town events. It was weird being back here, with all of the staff and participants running around. The cowboy reached up to the doctor's rearveiw mirror and put a little tag on it. "This way we can park where ever we want." He explained. Cas went and found a parking spot out back, away from all of the commotion.

"Alright, where do we start?" Dean asked, getting out of the vehicle and stretching. He wasn't used to all the traffic and he definitely wasn't used to that small of a car, the combination made him feel slightly claustrophobic. Cas just sort of shifted his feet. He still looked absolutely miserable, and Dean wasn't exactly sure how to make that go away, he wasn't sure if it was because the Doctor didn't want to be with him or something else entirely.

"The horses." Cas said, trying to smile. "They're what I miss most." Dean led his old friend over to where the horse trailers were, saying hello to a few people there, and asking the owners if they could look at the horses. Most of the people obliged, not really caring either way. Dean noticed that the longer they around the animals, and even the other people the more relaxed Castiel became.

"So you do miss Texas?" Dean asked after watching the man talk to a horse for a few minutes. "I thought you were some big hot shot doctor now."

"I am, and I love the city. You guys back in Texas are dangerous, dirty, idiots." Way to sugar coat how you feel Dean thought to himself. "However, I do miss the animals, and the clean air. I didn't live there long, but there's something about you all's ranch that's intoxicating." Dean understood the unsaid. "Work has just been... incredibly stressful lately." He summed up.

Dean just "hmmmd" back at the man. "There's always a place for you back at the ranch you know." He was hesitant to say that. There was no denying that the two had a thing back in highschool, but that was years ago, he wasn't even sure if Cas had just been experimenting or not. Dean had always been too scared to ask about that, wanting so desperately for it to be real. The cowboy's green eyes locked with blue, and he felt the electricity spark between them. "Just in case you need a break from city life."

Cas smiled, this time a real smile. "I may take you up on that one day." Was his only reply, before going back to strolling through the horse trailers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, okay, so that was the longest chapter I have ever written, and get used to it. I don't have a set chapter length for this fanfiction like I do my others. However my minimum limit is 1,000 words and my max 4,000. I hope you all like this fic, and please leave a review, it is literally the only thing that keeps me motivated.
> 
> Also, as far as an update schedule, I plan on keeping it at once a week. (Although, I may throw in a surprise chapter). I currently am not in school and only working part time, however if that changes, like I hope, I may have to cut back to once every other week. I'll let you all know what happens there.


	3. You can't Take the Texas out of the Surgeon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His green eyes were lit up, more so than Cas had seen in a while. He realized with a start that they were free of any intoxication, something that Castiel didn't think he'd seen much before in the man's eyes. His face was still unkempt though, he had scruff and dark circles under his eyes.
> 
> "Admiring the view?" Dean asked with a smirk.
> 
> Cas fought the urge to turn away and instead asked. "You still drink like you're in highschool don't you?" He blurted out. Dean's shoulders sunk down in defeat as he bit his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here is a little bit of fluff for you, and a nicer Cas too. I'll explain in the end notes why he such a dick in the last chapter. Anyways, I know, as soon as I announce an upload schedule I go MIA. I really do apologize and I'm sure you all don't want to hear me drone on with excuses. On the bright side I did engaged so, YAY! Anyways, this chapter is also where we get to learn a little bit more of what our boys are going through. Like I said this chapter is pretty much fluff, so these some of the tags are just mentioned briefly. (Getting set up so to speak) Anyways I would appreciate to hear any feedback or even just how you all's lives have been, so please leave a comment!

Castiel was behind the counter, looking through a couple of files on a few more of his patients. He had started lose himself in the paperwork, thinking about all of the different things he would need to check, and what he would need to ask the nurses to consider. "What in the world are you humming?" Cas spun around to look at one of the nurses, Gina, a younger one. "That sounds like Blake Shelton, old Blake Shelton too, I had no idea you like country music."

Cas blinked confused, he hadn't noticed he was humming anything at all, especially country music. The other day with Dean and the horses had really gotten under his skin. Suddenly he found himself longing for the sweet smell cattle and feed, the large open skies, and... the cowboy. Most of all Cas thought that he was missing Dean. "I haven't liked it in a long time." He finally replied. "My family lived in a ranching area in Texas for a while, I haven't really listened to it since then." He summed up his thoughts.

Castiel simply picked up a stack of his files and started on his rounds. They went smoothly that day, he just had to update the patients on their conditions, and inform the nurses dosage changes and food instructions. Then came the last name in his stack, Winchester. He wasn't sure if the older brother was with Sam, but he assumed so. As far back as he could remember Dean felt responsible for his little brother, probably due to their borderline neglectful father. When Cas knocked and inched open the door what he hadn't expected to see was his older brother with Sam and Dean.

"There you are Cassie!" Gabe said and moved from where he had been standing to swing his arms around the Doctor's shoulders. "Tell us, how is our bull-rider doing today!" Cas sighed as he felt an eye twitch coming on. He knew Sam and Gabriel were close, so close that they still talked, never really losing touch. However, he was seriously hoping his brother would not come and bug him at work. " Oh, don't be so tense, it'll send you to an early grave!"

Dean sent Cas a smile, a knowing, shit eating grin, smile. Sam, though, looked almost guilty, probably for not warning his Doctor. Cas just cleared his throat, "Sam, I'm happy to inform you that you are recovering nicely. It will take time and you still want to practice the physical therapy we've been doing with you, but I believe you will make a full recovery." Castiel couldn't help but notice how everyone in the room lit up. He wanted to be against it, knowing that as soon as Sam was able he would get back on another bull, but he couldn't be. The mood in the room was infectious, yet he still had to do his job. "As your doctor, Sam, I must advise you to quit riding, it's extremely dangerous, and your hand will be prone to breaking. Now, I'm going to prescribe you some painkillers, they're strong so only take them as needed, and I will be taking you off of them after this first batch. After that you will be prescribed more mild ones, that you can take more frequently. At the rate you're healing I should be able to discharge you in two days, however I don't want you even on horseback for another two weeks." He finally took a deep breath, realizing the word vomit he just spewed.

"I think he can handle waiting another two weeks before doing anything that may damage his hand." Dean answered, and Castiel was drawn in by those forest green eyes that sparkled in a unique way when they met his. Those eyes reminded him of the green of the pastures and sparse trees from back home. Wait, when had he started thinking of the ranch as home again?

"Thank you, Doc." Sam said with a tone of sincerity. "I know that you don't miss home, and you don't agree with what we all do, but thank you." Gabe moved from standing by his little brother to the younger Winchester. Castiel noticed, now that he saw the two together for the first time in years, how they looked at each other.

"Well, that's all that I have for you now, let the nurses know if you need anything else from them, or me." The blue eyed man said before turning and walking out of the room.

He hadn't realized anyone had followed him out until he heard Dean calling his name. He turned to see the man, cowboy hat in hand, somehow looking nervous and completely confident at the same time. "Cas, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute." Cas didn't even think before walking back, closer to Dean. "I know you had fun the other day, and I was wondering if you wanted to go horseback riding with me, I found a place just outside the city that offers it. I know it won't be like back home, but I could use some familiarity..." He trailed off, and Cas couldn't help but smile.

"Let me think about it, Dean, I've been busy and tired an lately." The doctor replied. It was true, Cas couldn't remember the last time he slept longer than two hours at a time, or thought of something other than work and everything on his to do list. He wanted to spend time with Dean, but he didn't know when he'd be able to.

Later that same day Cas was eating at a nicer steak house across the table from Gabriel. His brother was going on and on about some new movie coming out soon, as he shoveled a sirlion with a maple sauce, into his mouth. Eventually the doctor couldn't keep it in anymore. "You and Sam like each other?" He blurted out before thinking. He had known that the two had been close all this time, but he hadn't noticed how close they were. They were close enough that his brother had kept up with Sam's schedule.

Gabriel just chuckled shaking his head. "You finally catch on little Cassy?" He said waving his fork at him. "Yes, actually we've been dating for a while now, I didn't tell you because I honestly thought you knew. Not to mention you don't really like his family so..." Cas shifted uncomfortable, of course him and Sam were dating he was so dense to not realize. However he hadn't realized that Gabe never invited him around the bull-rider because of his disdain for cowboys. He felt heat rise from his neck to his cheeks at that thought, maybe it wasn't disdain. "Don't tell me you're actually falling Dean little brother?" Gabriel's eyebrow arched. "Of course you are, I know you don't agree with their lifestyle, that you find it too dangerous, but you have never been able to stay from that Winchester."

The doctor choked slightly on his lemon pepper chicken. Was he really that obvious? "Dean invited me to go horseback riding." Cas said as if it was the most casual thing in the world. It wasn't though, it would mean his teenage crush actually had an interest in him, even now when he was stressed and prejudice, it would also mean breaking down and riding a horse. There was a lot implied, it would be as if he was going back to his past, being that reckless teenager again.

"You should go." Gabriel said instantly, with little hesitation. "Me and Sam agree that there is no getting around the fact you two are simply meant for each other." He leaned back in his chair and studied Cas. Currently the blue eyed man was grimacing and holding his stomach, he had been fighting stomach pains for a couple of weeks now and knew he should go get it checked it. "You probably have ulcers." The younger brother's head snapped up. "Look, I think going horseback riding with Dean is a good idea, so go."

Castiel sent Dean a text later that night, accepting his invitation. Before he even realized the day of the date had come, this time Dean came by in a rental. It was weird to him to see the cowboy driving such a small compact car, it didn't suite Dean in the slightest. As Cas stepped away from the front of his building to get in the passenger seat Dean whistled. "You certainly are living it up here in the city."

"Yeah, well, it ain't as great as it seems." Cas grumbled buckling his seat belt. "It can be lonely, I don't really have any friends of my own here in, or at all. I don't have time for a personal life, my job takes too much of my time." He watched out the window as the scenery slowly began to change. from the downtown tall buildings to more industrial ones. Tulsa wasn't huge by any means, but it held it's own.

"Sam said that Gabriel mentioned you seemed stressed lately. It was actually his idea for the horseback riding, I just knew I wanted to take you out." Cas glanced over the forest green eyes and watched helplessly as the cowboy winked at him. "I did notice you still have a pair of riding boots, they look pretty recent too, I thought you didn't like horses or anything remotely fun anymore?"

The doctor sighed looking back out the window, he couldn't help but think about how Dean's eyes were even more beautiful than the lush grass that was beginning to get more prominent as they continued the drive. "Yeah, well, I guess you could say I never really let go." He let the sentence end there, he wasn't sure which he meant, let go of his old life, or let go of Dean. If he was honest with himself, which he wasn't, the answer would be both. Dean didn't press anymore, just turning the music up, this time it was some Lynyrd Skynyrd. After a couple more minutes Cas chanced a glance that quickly turned into a star. Dean was mouthing the words, his fingers tapping to the beat on the steering wheel. His green eyes were lit up, more so than Cas had seen in a while. He realized with a start that they were free of any intoxication, something that Castiel didn't think he'd seen much before in the man's eyes. His face was still unkempt though, he had scruff and dark circles under his eyes.

"Admiring the view?" Dean asked with a smirk.

Cas fought the urge to turn away and instead asked. "You still drink like you're in highschool don't you?" He blurted out. Dean's shoulders sunk down in defeat as he bit his lips.

"Look, I was getting better, it's just, after Garth last season..." Dean swallowed hard. "I'm not as bad I swear, I mean someone has to run the ranch and I have to be at least somewhat in it to do that." It was like he was scared Castiel was going to leave him, which he would never do. "We're here." Dean said as he turned on his signal and drove to a parking space at the little ranch.

After paying and getting their ticket to show the employee out at the barn, Cas found himself lingering by the hats. It was as if he was being called to them, even though he swore he would never wear again. "I can buy you one." He heard Dean offer from behind. Cas jumped a little and turned around. "A hat, if you want me to buy you one to keep the sun off of you don't mind. I miss seeing you in one anyways."

"Thank you Dean, but I have plenty of money." He said and pulled a black hat off of the rack, taking it to the register. It wasn't anything super nice or fancy, it definitely wouldn't last more than a week on the ranch, but it was nice enough and work for the day, or going out to a bar. Wait, the types of bars he went to were definitely not ones you wore cowboy hats too. What was he thinking about, the old honkytonk back in Texas. Oh, hell no, after he went to college he swore he would never be caught dead in that place.

As they rode through the trails both men became more relaxed. They both could ride a horse, but they didn't really have to, not with the ones they were on now who were used to tourists who didn't even know how to sit correctly. Cas and Dean spent their time catching up, Cas found it nice to hear how Sammy and everyone at Texas was doing, a lot had happened since highschool. He was most surprised, though, about how interested Dean seemed to be in what had been going on with Cas since he moved away. He knew Dean barely understood any of the medical terms, most people not in the business wouldn't, but the man still listened as intently as he would a NASCAR race on the radio.

The ride was coming to an end and it was dusk was just settling down when all of a sudden Dean blurted out. "Me and Sammy are going to be headed back home soon." Cas jolted slightly surprised, just by how loud and sudden the man's proclamation was. "I just, I don't want this to end just because I'm leaving." The cowboy lifted his had and wiped the sweat off of his forehead. Cas noticed, amused, how much Dean was shaking, he was nervous for no reason. "I mean, I like you a lot Cas, I always have really. I just, after you left and I didn't hear from you at all after college, I thought I'd lost you forever and decided just move on. But then, now, I mean, I don't want to lose you again, and I think you miss some stuff about back home." Dean was now staring directly into his eyes and the dark hared man was absolutely lost in them, glued to the spot, even if he tried to deny Dean anything, he knew he couldn't. "I'm not asking you to just drop your life here, that'd be ridiculous, but I do hope that we can stay in contact, maybe even try out that long distance relationship thing?"

The doctor broke out in a wide grin. "I think I can manage that." He said with just a slight glint of humor. "You know I can't say no to a green eyed beauty in boots and a hat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this was a beast of a chapter, but I had blast writing it. This is one of the most like long term planned out plots I have ever written, and I'm loving it!  
> So at the pre-chapter notes I mentioned I'd explain why Cas was such an ass in the last chapter. I grew up in St. Louis for most of my life than suddenly got moved to a town of like a thousand people on a farm way out in the middle of nowhere. While I initially enjoyed the culture here, I was so angry at the move and how people treated me in the area for what I liked I refused to participate in it. I guess Cas is sort of the same way, he loved it in Texas, but because of things that happened there he was bitter and shut out that part of is life, not allowing himself to really enjoy what he wanted to. So yeah, being exposed to it, he was trying to fight it off. It's similar to what I did, allowing myself to become bitter and angry to things in order to avoid them out of pure stubbornness.  
> I guess that's just me projecting onto the characters, but I feel that sort of response is just normal for his situation. Of course, it has to be Dean reminds him everything he is missing!


	4. Ulcers, Ulcers? Ulcers!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was so distracted though that next thing he knew it was being confirmed to him that he had ulcers, shit, that meant he really did need a break. He was prescribed some medicine for it and told to, to, to what?! "-To see someone about your mental health, you've been seeing me ever since you were in pre-med and I really think that things are starting to spill over."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm still not sticking to that update schedule... whoops. Oh, well! Here's the next chapter, I'm not really sure how long this fanfiction will be, but I'm guessing it'll be around the twenty mark, maybe a little longer. So, you all get to put up with my commitment issues I have with schedules! For the most part, I'm going to try to keep Dean and Castiel's POVs equal, but sometimes, like this chapter, it just doesn't work out. So you all get a double dose of Cas!

Cas was currently leaning against his bathroom wall, having finally flushed the toilet after inspecting his bloody bowel movement. Sure Cas was a surgeon and had basic knowledge, but the bowel system was far from his specialty. However, if he had to self diagnose, he would ulcers, especially since he had also been having some intense sharp pains. Like the ones he was having at that moment. "Shit." He mumbled under his breath. It was no mystery why he had them, it was due to stress he was sure of it. He loved his job, he did, it was just extremely tiring. Things were also worse now that Dean had gone back home.

They had discharged Sam about two weeks ago, and everything good that he had felt while the Winchesters had been there felt like it was muted. His phone buzzed in his hand as the Doctor went to lay down on the couch. It was Dean again, they had been texting almost non stop since Dean had left, but it just wasn't the same as having him there. At least each of his flirtatious, overly confident, messages were like a small floating as felt himself drowning in work and anxiety. He knew when he chose to be a surgeon that it would be like this, but he can't say that he had really thought it completely through. However, he had wanted to get as far away as he could from the Winchesters and that town. After he started taking some college courses online to get a head start it dawned on him how absolutely wreckless those cowboys were. Cas still thought that. However, the doctor was starting to see the why behind it.

DEAN: How have things been lately

YOU: We just talked a few hours ago, not much has changed

DEAN: How have things been in the last few hours then?

YOU: I think I'm getting sick

DEAN: it's because you work too much

YOU: And you don't?

Castiel rolled his eyes at what the cowboy had said and tossed his phone down next to him on the couch as he leaned back. Dean was right though, he had worked too much, he was going to have to make an appointment with his primary care doctor. "This sucks." He mumbled and flopped backward laying on the cushions.

He must've fallen asleep at some point because it was ten in the morning when his phone went off. "Hello?" He asked, after blindly answering it. He wasn't even on call that day so he knew that it shouldn't have been the hospital.

"Baby brother! How have you been!?" Gabriel, it was Gabe. "Samsicle told me that Dean told him that you are sick?" Cas all but growled, just like a small town for everyone to know, and he didn't even live there! "Oh, don't be mad, we just worry."

"I think I have ulcers, I'm going to see if I can get into the doctors today while I'm off." He explained rubbing his face and sitting up. He was a littl sore from sleeping in an odd position, but at least he had changed into pajamas. The worst feeling in the world was waking up to jeans stuck against his sweaty legs, he had of course ended up that way many times. Not only was his job physically exhausting but emotionally as well. Of course he wasn't a neurosurgeon or cardiothoracic surgeon. Still, being any kind of surgeon even an orthopedic one was a hard job, in his case people's careers and everyday life were on the line. It was hard not to see yourself as the reason they can never do what they love, or have to amputate a limb because you couldn't do your job. "I'll get some medicine for it, and start watching what I eat and I'll be fine."

He heard Gabe sigh on the other end, getting more serious. "Little brother, you really need to take a vacation, an extended vacation. If you keep going like this it'll kill you. You don't really like what you're doing right now, you don't like where you live..." He trailed off.

Didn't like where he lived? Didn't like what he did!? Cas had never heard such bullshit in his life. "Of course I'm happy, I love my job, and I love the city." Flashes of memories of what the ranch, and the local diner, and the general store looked like from his hometown flashed through his mind. He wondered if it all was still there, and how much it had changed since he had last seen it. He asumed it had, it'd been years. "I just, look, I feel like some of my nurses that help me do more harm than good and some of the other surgeons at work are giving me a hard time."

"Break Cassy, I'm serious, you need one, don't make me get Dad involved in this." Cas's older brother threatened. He sighed not wanting to deal with his dead beat dad, not that Chuck wasn't successful, but he hadn't really cared much about their family growing up, or like at all. Yet, whenever Gabriel would go run and tell him about any negative thing Cas was doing the man would step in like he was the perfect father.

"I'll just, go to the doctor and see what they say about how serious it is." The Doctor bargained.

"Deal, look, you go get checked out today, and that's it. Rest." Gabriel hung up with that and Castiel practically threw his phone down. He really didn't want to be missing Texas right now, really did not want to be missing Dean, and especially didn't ever want to admit to it. It seemed he was going to have to though. "Why does he always have to be right." Castiel grumbled.

A little before one in the afternoon the blue eyed man was throwing on his trench coat and heading to his door. He lived close to the doctors office that was on the same site as the hospital, of course, so he only left a few minutes before his appointment. He hadn't taken anything for the pain in his stomach, of course it could just make the sores worse, so he was just going to have to deal with it. Deciding he had time to walk rather than drive he pulled out his ohone and put his keys in his pocket. He smiled seeing the text from Dean.

DEAN: Maybe I do work, but at least I know how to have some fun too

YOU: Oh please, your version of having fun is getting shit faced drunk and tipping cows

DEAN: Hey that was back in highschool now I get drunk and go bull riding

YOU: Say sike

DEAN: I don't compete a lot but you know I can

YOU: You could get hurt! Do you not remember what Sam's hand look liked?

DEAN: Live a little Cas

DEAN: And you hurt yourself by working too much so I don't want to hear it

Cas wasn't smiling anymore. Dean was such a dumbass, a beautiful and sexy dumbass, but one none-the-less. He remembered back when he lived there, hearing about the teenagers who competed in youth events ending up at the hospital frequently, even if for minor stuff. He remembered the none bull-riders getting hurt because they decided playing chicken on tractors or street racing on back roads was a good idea. He remembered one night, out with Dean and Sam, they had been drinking, of course. To be honest they were always drinking. On their way home from a bonfire when they decided to go the long way home. Dean was driving and Castiel had tried to talk him into going straight home. When Dean hit that gravel turn, they all three felt the vehicle jolt the wrong way and Dean lost control. He remembered seeing the green eyed man's arm twist from getting caught in the steering wheel. He remembered the crunch of metal and glass, of Sam crying out from the impact. He remembered looking over at Dean, who hadn't been wearing a seat belt, knocked out and a crack in the windshield where he had hit it.

That was the night that Cas knew they were all acting so dumb, too reckless. That's when he decided to choose a safe and rewarding career, one that he could move to the city too. He wanted to be sensible person. The doctor still couldn't believe how fast the cowboy had bounced back from the wreck, it was just a few weeks before he was back to his same old habits. He stuck his phone in his pocket, deciding not to deal with any of those emotions now, it wasn't like it had ended up being that serious. He also had to admit that his "Sensible" decision is what had led him to getting four hours of sleep on the nights he even got to sleep, depression, and now ulcers. He was loath to admit that being non sensible sounded appealing right now.

He walked to the bus stop, the bust was overly crowded, like it usually was. Everything smelled like sewer, like it usually did. Castiel wished that he could be on the open plains with the smell of sweet hay, which is not what usually happened. He felt his phone buzz once, and then twice, and the third time as the bus was slowing to a stop outside of the hospital. The doctor exited the vehicle without even looking at it. He couldn't figure out if he needed to clear his head, or if it was that his head was finally clearing.

Castiel was spaced out as he tried to ignore the pain while dealing with his existential crisis, which maybe that was a little bit of an exaggeration, but that's what it felt like to him. He was so distracted though that next thing he knew it was being confirmed to him that he had ulcers, shit, that meant he really did need a break. He was prescribed some medicine for it and told to, to, to what?! "-To see someone about your mental health, you've been seeing me ever since you were in pre-med and I really think that things are starting to spill over." He mind finally caught up to what was currently going on.

"I-" The blue eyed man was at an utter loss of words. He knew that his physician was mostly right, but at the same time, he'd never really been one to go to a therapist.

"At the very least I'm suggesting you take an extended vacation, rest, and figure out what you want. Your line of work is stressful, you need to take breaks every once in a while." The older man was writing something down on his clipboard, he didn't use many computers even in this day in age. "I'm sure that at this point and with your brother's help you can afford to take one."

Cas sighed and took the piece of paper to the front desk. After he stepped out of the doctors clinic that was across a little street from the hospital he worked at the doctor pulled his phone back out. Still not checking the text messages from Dean, (he definitely could not deal with that now), and called his brother back. "Heard from the doctor I would guess?" Gabe's chipper voice sounded from the other end of the line. "So, what's the damage?"'

"Ulcers, he prescribed me some medicine and told me that if I wanted them to stay away I needed to take an extended vacation."

"Well then take one, you know what, I know a perfect little ranch ran by the most delicious cowboy..."

"No!"

"Well, they've already told me that they have a place for you and that you'd be welcome. Sammy told me that Dean-o was going to tell you about it." Ah, so that's what those texts were. "I know that none of us can make you." His brother was being serious again. "But, Cassie, we're worried about you, all of us." He emphasized the word 'all'. "Just think about it, okay?"

Castiel lowered his head in defeat. "Yeah, yeah, I'll think about it, I probably will." He bus pulled up as he said goodbye to his brother.


End file.
